Former Olympians, National Team Leaders Highlight USOC Coaches of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - The U.S. Olympic Committee has announced the 1997 National
and Developmental Coaches of the Year for each of the National Governing Bodies for
Olympic and Pan American sports. Each of this select company is now eligible for the
USOC overall National and Developmental Coach of the Year awards.

Headlining the winners is 1996 USOC Developmental Coach of the Year Jeff Shaffer
(diving), nominated this year in the National category. Many former Olympic athletes
are among the group, including gold medalists John Williams, archery, 1972; Algis
Shaina, biathlon, 1984 (USSR); Dianne Holum, speed skating, 1972; and Lynnette Love,
taekwondo, 1988.

Other members of the group have coached teams or athletes at various World Championship
events, such as Bob Fenson, curling; Frank Carroll, coach of past World Champion figure
skaters Linda Fratianne and Michelle Kwan; Megan Faulkner, a member of the staff of
current World Champion figure skater Tara Lipinski; Patricia Jacques, roller skating;
jack Travers, water skiing; Michael Cohen and Michael Burgener, weightlifting; Andrea
Lagan, fencing; and Catherine Yakhimovitch, gymnastics.

Other notables include Thomas Rongen, the 1996 Major League Soccer Coach of the Year
and head coach of the New England Revolution; Pat McCarrick, whose Miller Place
Badminton Club is in the Guinness Book of World Records for longest winning streak (389
matches); Patrice jankowski, U.S. Biathlon's 1988 "Biathlete of the Year"; Joel Sexton,
whose shooters at the Citadel own 267 national collegiate records; and Shannon Wright,
the 1996 Youth Soccer Coach of the Year.

The 1997 USOC National and Developmental; Coaches of the Year will be announced
September 13 at the annual awards banquet in Indianapolis. Last year's winners were
Shaffer in the Developmental category and Tara Van Derveer (basketball) in the National
Category.